9th of June, by Lord Hood, from the fleet off Mortella Bay, to take the
charge of these embarkations, in his lordship's absence, agreed that
they should proceed to Port Agra, where a landing was effected on the
19th of the same month; and, on that very day, the army encamped, in a
strong position, on the Serra del Cappucine, a ridge of mountains three
miles distant from the town of Calvi.
From many of the out-posts, and particularly from those which the
friendly Corsicans were ordered to occupy, it was distinctly
discoverable that the town of Calvi was strong in point of situation,
well fortified, and amply supplied with heavy artillery. The exterior
defences, on which the enemy had bestowed a considerable labour,
consisted in the bomb-proof Stone Star Fort Mozello, mounting ten pieces
of ordnance, with a battery of six guns on it's right, flanked by a
small entrenchment. In the rear of this line, which covered the town to
the westward, was placed, on a rocky hill to the east, a battery of
three guns. Considerably advanced on the plain to the south-west, the
Fort Mollinochesco, on a steep rock, commanded the communication between
Calvi and the province of Balagori; supported by two frigates, moored in
the bay, for the purpose of raking the intermediate country. The
principal difficulties, however, in approaching the enemy's works, did
not so much arise from the strength of the defences, as from the height
of the mountains and rugged rocky surface of the country it was
necessary to penetrate; and so considerable were these obstacles,
against the usual mode of attack, that it was judged expedient to adopt
rapid and forward movements, instead of regular approaches.
In conformity to this plan of proceeding, the seamen and soldiers were
laboriously employed in making roads; dragging guns to the tops of the
mountains; and collecting military stores, for the purpose of erecting
two mortar and four separate gun batteries, on the same night. One of
these was intended against the Mollinochesco; the second, to be
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